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The Western Mind and the Relationship to the Guru · Sri Aurobindo Studies

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  The cultural background of the West clearly differs from the
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  background found in India, which has a history of Spiritual
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  Development, stretching back, thousands of years, westerners
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  tend to have difficulty with the concept of surrender to the
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  grooves guidance, whereas, in India, this is an accepted
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  concept and thus, fits more perfectly into the psychological
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  framework of the people. When a Westerner attempts to
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  surrender to the guru, he does not have the needed.
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  Cultural framework to distinguish the truth of the
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  Guru from the individuals who come to pray upon Him due to his
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  basic ignorance and thus is more subject to being manipulated by
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  a con man, posing as a guru, whose actual goals are
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  achievement of power, wealth, sex and fame.
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  The history of communities, such as Jonestown, where hundreds of
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  devotees were poisoned or provoked, a violent against.
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  Others is a cautionary, Tale. But there are also instances of
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  pseudo gurus who represent themselves as Divine guides and
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  who use the innocence and lack of background in spiritual
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  matters to entrap young people The tale of Miller epis laborers
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  at the behest of his Guru. Marpa is frequently used by
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  these con artists to illustrate the type of unquestioning
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  surrender that they are seeking. Of course, there are true,
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  relationships and sincere gurus as well for the Westerner,
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  however, particularly in early stages, it is difficult to
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  distinguish the difference and it requires a strong Ang
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  aspiration and orientation toward the deeper spiritual
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  Truth for the Seeker from the West to find and benefit from
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  the guru relationship in many cases.
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  A sincere Guru will recognize the limitations imposed by the
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  cultural background of the Westerner and find ways to work
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  around the issues. Until there is a true trust, and
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  comfort level established. This is not to imply that people
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  of India, or any other land are immune from this type of
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  manipulation and deception. They also have to address the
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  concerns but have at least the cultural background to
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  understand more fully how to navigate The Dangers that can
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  arise. The Westerner then has the added
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  difficulty of overcoming, all the social mental and emotional
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  conditioning that values and emphasizes the ego personality.
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  And thus conflicts with the psychics, need to subordinate
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  the ego to the higher Guidance. The inner guidance of the
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  psychic presence eventually is required for anyone to
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  distinguish truth from falsehood and be able then to undertake
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  the aboard nation of the ego to the Divine guidance, as
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  channeled through the guru. The mother, right?
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  Quote, the Western mind. Always finds it difficult to
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  submit. Totally to a guru and without
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  total and unquestioning surrender to the guru, his help
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  to you as paralyzed. That is why generally I advise
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  westerners to find the guidance and the presence within
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  themselves. It is true that this process is
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  very often open to uncertainty and self-deception.
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  Getting some voice of the ego in Disguise for the divine's
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  guidance, in both cases, it is only an absolute sincerity and
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  an unmixed humility that can be your Safeguard and quote
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  reference SRI aurobindo in the mother growing within the
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  psychology of inner development. Chapter 3 growth of
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  Consciousness basic requisites page 55.